Information recording method, information recording apparatus, program and computer readable information storage medium

Abstract

In a method for writing data to an information recording medium having a plurality of recording layers, user data is written across between a plurality of the recording layers, and data other than the user data is written in a predetermined zone of the recording layer. Thereby, since the user data is written continuously upon switching of a recording layer without data other than the user data being written, it is possible to avoid interruption of writing of the user data to the recording layers.

1. A method for writing data to an information recording medium having a plurality of recording layers, the layers having at least a first layer and a second layer, the information recording medium to which recording is made being configured according to an opposite track path system, the method comprising the steps of:
 writing user data to an end location of a data zone in the first layer; 
 writing a pre-determined amount of data other than user data immediately before a start location of a data zone in the second layer; and 
 writing user data in said data zone in the second layer; 
 wherein said method for writing data is performed according to said opposite track path system, such that a physical address of said start location of said data zone of said second layer is bit-inverted from a physical address of said end location of said data zone of said first layer, and 
 wherein said step of writing a pre-determined amount of data other than user data immediately before a start location of a data zone in the second layer occurs just prior to the step of writing user data in the data zone in the second layer and just after the step of writing user data to an end location of the data zone in the first layer. 
 
     
     
       2. The information recording method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein: said step of writing the data other than user data comprises writing a pre-determined amount of dummy data in a region immediately before said data zone in the second layer. 
     
     
       3. The information recording method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: writing data to a middle zone corresponding to at least one of said first and said second layers. 
     
     
       4. The information recording method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein: the step of writing data to a middle zone comprises writing data to first and second middle zones corresponding to said first and second layers. 
     
     
       5. The information recording method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein: the step of writing data to said first and second middle zones is performed after the steps of writing user data in data zones in the first and second layers. 
     
     
       6. An information recording apparatus for writing data to an information recording medium having at least first and second recording layers and being configured as an opposite track path system, the apparatus comprising:
 a first writing part writing user data to an end location of a data zone in the first layer; 
 a second writing part writing a pre-determined amount of data other than user data immediately before a start location of a data zone in the second layer; and 
 a third writing part writing user data in said data zone in the second layer; and 
 wherein data writing is performed according to said opposite track path system, such that a physical address of said start location of said data zone of said second layer is bit-inverted from a physical address of said end location of said data zone of said first layer, and 
 wherein said second writing part writes the pre-determined amount of data other than user data immediately before the start location of the data zone in the second layer just after the first part writes user data to an end location of the data zone in the first layer. 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said second writing part writes a pre-determined amount of dummy data in a region immediately before said data zone in the second layer. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising a fourth writing part writing data to a middle zone corresponding to at least one of said first and said second layers. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said fourth writing part writes data to first and second middle zones corresponding to said first and second layers. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said fourth writing part writes data to said first and second middle zones after the writing of user data in data zones in the first and second layers. 
     
     
       11. A method for writing data to an information recording medium having a plurality of recording layers, the layers having at least a first layer and a second layer, the method comprising the steps of:
 writing user data in a data zone in the first layer; 
 writing a pre-determined amount of data other than user data immediately before a data zone in the second layer just after writing the user data in the data zone in the first layer; and 
 subsequently, writing user data in said data zone in the second layer. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of writing a pre-determined amount of data other than user data comprises writing a pre-determined amount of dummy data. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of writing a pre-determined amount of dummy data is performed in a middle zone for the second layer. 
     
     
       14. An information recording apparatus for writing data to an information recording medium having a plurality of recording layers, the layers having at least a first layer and a second layer, the apparatus comprising:
 a first part writing user data in a data zone in the first layer; 
 a second part writing a pre-determined amount of data other than user data immediately before a data zone in the second layer just after said first part writes the user data in said data zone in the first layer; and 
 a third part subsequently writing user data in said data zone in the second layer. 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said second part writes a pre-determined amount of dummy data. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said second part writes a pre-determined amount of dummy data in a middle zone for the second layer. 
     
     
       17. A method for writing data to an information recording medium having a plurality of recording layers, the layers having at least a first layer and a second layer, the information recording medium to which recording is made being configured according to an opposite track path system, the method comprising the steps of:
 writing user data to an end location of a data zone in the first layer; 
 writing a pre-determined amount of data other than user data immediately before a start location of a data zone in the second layer; 
 writing user data in said data zone in the second layer; 
 writing data to a first and second middle zone corresponding to said first and said second layers, 
 wherein the step of writing data to said first and second middle zones is performed after the steps of writing user data in data zones in the first and second layers, and 
 wherein said method for writing data is performed according to said opposite track path system, such that a physical address of said start location of said data zone of said second layer is bit-inverted from a physical address of said end location of said data zone of said first layer. 
 
     
     
       18. The information recording method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein writing data other than user data immediately before a data zone in the second layer occurs just after the step of writing user data in a data zone in the first layer. 
     
     
       19. An information recording apparatus for writing data to an information recording medium having at least first and second recording layers and being configured as an opposite track path system, the apparatus comprising:
 a first writing part writing user data to an end location of a data zone in the first layer; 
 a second writing part writing a pre-determined amount of data other than user data immediately before a start location of a data zone in the second layer; 
 a third writing part writing user data in said data zone in the second layer; and 
 a fourth writing part writing data to a first and a second middle zone corresponding to said first and second layers after the first and second parts write user data in the data zones in the first and second layers, 
 wherein data writing is performed according to said opposite track path system, such that a physical address of said start location of said data zone of said second layer is bit-inverted from a physical address of said end location of said data zone of said first layer.